§ 12-12-314 - Fees -- Disposition. - Arkansas Statutes

12-12-314. Fees -- Disposition.

(a) The State Crime Laboratory shall charge certain fees in an amount to be determined by the State Crime Laboratory Board, but subject to the limitations set forth in this section for certain records, reports, and consultations by laboratory physicians and analysts, and expert witness testimony provided in the trial of civil lawsuits, as follows:

(1) A fee shall be charged for records and reports of the laboratory in a reasonable amount to be set by the board when the request for the report shall be from other than a law enforcement or criminal justice system agency;

(2) (A) A fee shall be charged in an amount to be set by the board for consultations, scientific or medical research, depositions, expert witness testimony, and travel to and from courts.

(B) The fees shall be at a rate not to exceed seventy-five dollars ($75.00) per hour or six hundred dollars ($600) per day and shall be levied against the requesting individual, agency, or organization for work done in civil cases in which laboratory personnel involvement results from the performance of duties and responsibilities under this subchapter; and

(3) A charge of up to one thousand dollars ($1,000) for each autopsy requested by non-law enforcement officials.

(b) At no time shall any fee be levied or charge made to or against any law enforcement agency of the State of Arkansas for work performed under the provisions of this subchapter.

(c) (1) All fees collected by the laboratory for copies of autopsy reports, autopsies requested by the Federal Aviation Administration, and expenses paid employees for testimony as expert witnesses shall be deposited as a refund to expenditures.

(2) Other moneys derived from the charges provided for and authorized by this section shall be deposited into the State Treasury to the credit of the Miscellaneous Agencies Fund Account of the State General Government Fund.